Why Sexy Doesn’t Sell Anymore in Fashion

Aug 26

Once the ultimate marketing shortcut, sex in fashion campaigns has lost its allure. The imagery that once shocked and seduced no longer has the same grip on audiences oversaturated by hyper-sexual content in every corner of culture. What used to feel daring now feels dated. In its place, fashion has embraced comfort, authenticity, and emotional storytelling as the true currencies of desirability.

From Fantasy to Fatigue

In the 1990s and early 2000s, sex was fashion’s favorite tool of provocation. Brands like Abercrombie & Fitch built their empire on shirtless models, while campaigns by Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana flirted with controversy to fuel attention. But today’s audiences—particularly Gen Z—see these tactics as relics of another era. With pornography just a click away, as cultural critics note, overtly sexual imagery has lost its shock value. It doesn’t provoke; it numbs.

The result is a cultural fatigue with what some describe as “pornification.” As Anuj DG wrote, everything now looks pornographic, yet very little feels genuinely erotic. The erotic depends on tension, mystery, and emotion—qualities stripped away when sex is reduced to simulation. In other words, fashion may have overplayed its hand.

Backlash and the End of the “Porno Chic” Era

Brands have also learned that sex comes with risk. Saint Laurent’s 2017 ads—criticized for objectifying women in hyper-pornographic poses—were pulled in France after public outcry. Even Abercrombie, once synonymous with nearly naked models, rebranded in 2017 with inclusive imagery and smiling faces rather than glistening torsos.

Consumers today don’t want to be seduced; they want to be respected. A campaign that once signaled glamour and allure can now read as tone-deaf, exploitative, or simply unimaginative.

The Rise of Comfort and Authenticity

If sex no longer sells, what does? Increasingly, it’s comfort. Leggings, oversized sweatshirts, and sneakers have become the new uniform—not because they reject style, but because they reflect a broader cultural shift toward self-care and authenticity. Brands like Aerie, with its unretouched “AerieReal” campaigns, or Savage X Fenty, celebrating body diversity, resonate more deeply than the glossy fantasies of old.

In this new landscape, inclusivity is more powerful than provocation. A woman laughing in sweatpants is more aspirational to today’s shopper than a model pouting in lingerie.

Redefining What “Sexy” Means

None of this means sex has disappeared from fashion. Rather, its definition has evolved. Sexy is no longer about bare skin or suggestive poses, it’s about confidence, comfort, and connection. The rise of modest fashion, embraced by Muslim models and influencers, underscores that allure can come from what’s hidden, not just what’s revealed.

Fashion’s challenge now is to rediscover eroticism without slipping into pornification: to create images that invite imagination and intimacy, rather than merely display bodies.

The Future of Desire in Fashion

Sex may not sell in the old sense, but desire still drives fashion. The difference is that desire today is built on storytelling, inclusivity, and emotional resonance. To seduce modern audiences, brands must offer more than skin—they must offer meaning.

Fashion has entered a new era, where what captivates is not the shock of the flesh, but the authenticity of the self.

XOXO, The Fashion Stock Market

Cover Photo: GUCCI 2003 Spring/Summer campaign

Editor: Felicity Field